UJeremiya 11
1 Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini, lisithi:
This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah:
2 Zwanini amazwi alesisivumelwano, likhulume ebantwini bakoJuda lakubahlali beJerusalema.
Listen to the terms of this agreement, and then repeat them to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
3 Njalo uthi kibo: Itsho njalo INkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Uqalekisiwe umuntu ongalaleli amazwi alesisivumelwano,
Tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You are cursed if you don't obey the terms of this agreement.
4 engawalayela oyihlo ngosuku engibakhupha ngalo elizweni leGibhithe, esithandweni sensimbi, ngisithi: Lalelani ilizwi lami, liwenze njengakho konke engililaya khona; ngalokho lizakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngibe nguNkulunkulu wenu,
I made this agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the iron-making furnace, saying, “Obey me, and do everything I order you to do, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
5 ukuze ngimise isifungo engasifunga kuboyihlo ukuthi ngibanike ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju, njengalamuhla. Ngasengiphendula ngathi: Ameni, Nkosi.
I did this to fulfill what I promised to your forefathers—to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it still is today. Amen, Lord, I answered.
6 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Memezela wonke lamazwi emizini yakoJuda lezitaladeni zeJerusalema, usithi: Zwanini amazwi alesisivumelwano, liwenze.
Then the Lord told me, Go and publicly announce this whole message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Pay attention the terms of this agreement and do what they say.
7 Ngoba ngafakaza lokufakaza kuboyihlo ngosuku engabakhuphula ngalo elizweni leGibhithe, kuze kube lamuhla, ngivuka ngovivi ngifakaza, ngisithi: Lalelani ilizwi lami.
From the time I led your forefathers out of Egypt until now, I seriously warned them time and again, saying, “Do what I tell you!”
8 Kodwa kabalalelanga, kababekanga indlebe yabo, kodwa bahamba, ngulowo lalowo ngobulukhuni benhliziyo yabo embi. Ngakho ngizaletha phezu kwabo wonke amazwi alesisivumelwano, engabalaya ukuthi bawenze, kodwa kabawenzanga.
But they refused to obey, they wouldn't listen. Instead each of them followed their own stubborn and evil thinking. I had ordered them to follow the agreement, but they didn't do so. So I brought down on them all the curses contained in the agreement.
9 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Kutholakele ugobe phakathi kwabantu bakoJuda, laphakathi kwabahlali beJerusalema.
The Lord told me, There is a rebellion happening among the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.
10 Sebebuyele eziphambekweni zabokhokho babo, abala ukuzwa ilizwi lami; bona balandela abanye onkulunkulu ukuze babakhonze; indlu yakoIsrayeli lendlu yakoJuda zisephulile isivumelwano sami engasenza laboyise.
They have gone back to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey what I said. They have gone to worship other gods. The people of Israel and Judah have broken the agreement I made with their forefathers.
11 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizaletha okubi phezu kwabo, abangeke baphume kukho; lapho bekhala kimi, kangiyikubezwa.
So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to bring upon them a disaster they won't be able to escape. They will cry out to me for help, but I won't listen to them.
12 Khona imizi yakoJuda labahlali beJerusalema bezahamba bakhale kubonkulunkulu ababatshisela impepha, kodwa kabayikubasindisa lokubasindisa ngesikhathi sobubi babo.
Then the people in the towns of Judah and Jerusalem will go and call out for help to the gods they've been burning incense to, but these gods won't be able to do anything to save them in their time of trouble.
13 Ngoba njengenani lemizi yakho babenjalo onkulunkulu bakho, Juda, lanjengenani lezitalada zeJerusalema limisile amalathi kulokhu okuyangisayo, amalathi okutshisela uBhali impepha.
You certainly have as many gods as you have towns, Judah! You have built shameful altars, altars to burn incense to Baal. You have as many altars as the streets of Jerusalem.
14 Ngakho wena ungabakhulekeli lababantu, futhi ungabaphakamiseli ukukhala kumbe umkhuleko, ngoba kangiyikuzwa ngesikhathi sokukhala kwabo kimi ngenxa yenhlupheko yabo.
Jeremiah, don't pray for these people. Don't cry for help or offer a prayer on their behalf, because I won't be listening when they cry out to me in the time of their trouble.
15 Othandekayo wami ulani endlini yami, lokhu enze amanyala labanengi, lenyama engcwele isiyedlule kuwe yini? Lapho usenza okubi, kulapho uthokoza.
What right do the people I love have to be in my Temple when they've done so many evil things? Do you think the meat of sacrifices will save you? When disaster strikes will you be happy?
16 INkosi yabiza ibizo lakho ngokuthi: Isihlahla somhlwathi esiluhlaza esihle ngezithelo ezinhle; ngomsindo wenhlokomo enkulu izasithungela ngomlilo, lengatsha zaso zephuke.
At one time the Lord said you were a healthy olive tree, full of leaves and bearing beautiful fruit. But with a great noise he will set fire to it, destroying its branches.
17 Ngoba iNkosi yamabandla, eyakuhlanyelayo, ikhulumile okubi ngawe, ngenxa yobubi bendlu yakoIsrayeli lobendlu yakoJuda, abakwenzileyo bemelene labo ngokwabo ukungicunula ngokutshisela uBhali impepha.
I, the Lord Almighty, was the one who planted you, but I have announced you will be destroyed because of the evil that the people of Israel and Judah have committed, making me angry by burning incense to Baal.
18 INkosi yasingazisa ukuthi ngazi; wasungitshengisa izenzo zabo.
The Lord told me about it, so I knew. Then he showed me what they were actually doing.
19 Kodwa mina nganginjengewundlu kumbe inkabi kusiwa ekuhlatshweni; ngoba ngangingazi ukuthi baceba amacebo bemelene lami, besithi: Asichithe isihlahla lesithelo saso; asimqume asuke elizweni labaphilayo, ukuze ibizo lakhe lingabe lisakhunjulwa.
I was like a trusting little lamb being led away to be slaughtered. I didn't know that they had been plotting against me. They said, “Let's destroy the tree along with everything it produces. Let's kill him so no one will even remember his name.”
20 Kodwa, wena Nkosi yamabandla, umahluleli olungileyo, ohlola izinso lenhliziyo, kangibone impindiselo yakho kibo; ngoba ngembule udaba lwami kuwe.
I appeal to you, Lord Almighty, you who judge rightly and examine peoples thoughts and feelings, let me see how you punish them, because I've left my case in your hands.
21 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi ngamadoda eAnathothi, adinga impilo yakho, esithi: Ungaprofethi ngebizo leNkosi, ukuze ungafi ngesandla sethu.
So this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are trying to kill you, telling you, “Don't prophesy in the name of the Lord, or we'll kill you.”
22 Ngakho itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla: Khangela, ngizawajezisa; amajaha azakufa ngenkemba, amadodana awo lamadodakazi awo azakufa ngendlala,
This is the reply of the Lord Almighty: I will punish them. Their young men will killed by the sword, their sons and daughters will be killed by famine.
23 njalo kakuyikuba lensali kuwo; ngoba ngizaletha okubi phezu kwamadoda eAnathothi, ngomnyaka wempindiselo yawo.
There won't be anyone left because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth at the time when they're punished.
